The Trail of Lucky Spencer: Three Americans in Paris
by Gillen1962
Summary: Lucky and Franco Meet. Elizabeth shows whey she is brilliant. Michael makes an announcement. Jason has pizza. And Ethan, Molly and Drew try to guess who Luke's greatest foe was.


13

_The Trial of Lucky Spencer: Three Americans In Paris_

Molly Cassadine-Davis had to admit that the Mediterranean looked lovely at night as she, Drew Cain and Ethan Lovett waited for Andre St Martine the cab driver that Lucky had contacted here in Provence.

Molly already had a story, but she felt as if she were intentionally being kept in the dark, not by the two men who were with her, but she had a nagging feeling that there was more going on here then she was aware.

She smiled at the two men, both sipping large glasses of wine. She had a coke. And said. "I love how everything in Europe is done later at night. In Port Charles after midnight everyone is all but a sleep."

Ethan laughed. "After bumming around the world for the last few years, I think I kind of miss a normal sleeping pattern."

"I think I got very little sleep in the Seals" Said Drew. His memories of that time were sitting on a flash drive in the Aurora Media safe. He was here in hope of finding Dr. Soumia Al-Fayheed who may have a process for restoring those memories without losing his new ones.

Molly was about to say something when a man approached the table "Hello are you Ethan Lovett?"

Ethan looked up. The man was older, in his late sixties, and spoke with a crisp Eastern European Accent.

Ethan nodded. "Are you Andre?"

The Man smiled. "Andre sent me, he asked if you could come with me for a moment,"

Ethan was hesitant to follow a stranger through the midnight street of Provence. He looked at Drew who gave him a curt nod. Ethan read his mind: What could they be walking into that a con artist and Navy Seal could not handle.

Franco Baldwin smiled broadly. His Sister Serena had joined he and his wife Elizabeth along with Liz's three boys for a family dinner. The first of many Franco hoped. Now the boys were off playing video games before bedtime and Captain Serena Baldwin and Elizabeth were sitting in the living room with Franco telling him stories of Port Charles past, especially those centered on his and Serena's Father Scott Baldwin.

"So, wait Scott owned a perfume company?" Franco asked.

"Along with my Mothers." Said Serena. Serena was the child of Scott Baldwin and Dominique Taub, Dominique was dying of a brain tumor when she and Scott conceived Serena, their friend Lucy Coe agreed to carry the child for them, and Serena loved both women as her Mother.

"Deception" said Liz, making a kind of wow sign with her hands.

"Weren't you almost the face of deception?" Serena asked her.

"Ha, every woman in town was the face of deception it seems." Said Elizabeth. "I think even Carly"

Franco laughed. "Well heck if anyone is the face of deception it is Carly."

The women were still laughing when Serena's phone buzzed,

"Hi dad, we were just talking about you. At Elizabeth and Franco's why? With who? No wait a minute. What? How soon? Fine"

Serena hung up the phone. "Elizabeth, I have to apologize for my Father."

"Why, what happened."

"Apparently he is on his way over here with Mac and Robert Scorpio."

"Is everything okay?" Franco asked.

"I am not sure. Elizabeth, he is also bringing a Scientist that the government has been looking for and a man who up until a few hours ago was the prisoner of US Army Intelligence."

"What?" Said Liz. "Who?"

"Lucky Spencer."

Mayor Laura Webber-Collins opened her eyes in a haze. Where was she? On a cold floor that was for sure. Slowly she tried to stand up. She was still wobbling and so settled for sitting.

She tried to remember how she got here. She had seen Anna? Was it Anna? Then she had been carried in here. There had been an argument …. between… Anna…no a woman who looked like Anna…Alex. Anna's sister…was that who it was…and someone else, had said to Alex. "Well we can still…"

Still what?

It was all a blank after that,

Laura looked around. This place. It had been the Outback. Mac's club. She could see that much. Slowly she got up. How long had she been out? She felt in her pocket. Her phone was still there. Kevin, her husband had called several times.

She dialed him. "It's your favorite wife. Eve? Really, I would have thought Lucy. "Kevin never failed to make Laura smiled. "Look something strange happened. Can you meet me at Kelly's? Great see you there."

Laura stretched slowly and then carefully walked out of the empty building. "Just what happened?" She said out loud.

In the upstairs office of "Virgin's Strip Club" on 168th Street and the Grand Concourse in the Bronx in the shadow of both the Major Deegan expressway and Yankee Stadium, Marijian Shehu sat sipping a glass of Raki and Water and speaking with one of his capos.

"There seems to be some stirrings out of Port Charles" The man said to Shehu.

"What" Shehu said exhausted from the needless work that this small city was causing. "Wait have we found a permanent man for there yet?"

"No, Donal is speaking to his wife."

Shehu laughed. "For the first time in a year" The other man did not find the quip all that funny but laughed anyway. "So, all we have up there right now is the Ottoman?"

"Yes."

"So, what is the problem?"

"Two actually. Fist it seems that Jason Morgan has moved here."

"Here, New York?"

"The Bronx."

Shehu laughed. "What a clever little simpleton. I told him that has long as he stayed out of Port Charles his family was safe. So, he comes here looking for what? To speak to every Albanian in the boro and see if they know me? What an idiot."

"Nevertheless, he is here."

"Where exactly?"

"Leo Krasniqi's building on Pelham. He is renting an apartment and looking for work under the name of Alan Lee Holt."

"Do we own anything outright in that area, not someone paying tribute, but ours?"

"Yes, Leka's Pizza."

Shehu nodded. "Yes, yes…that pizza is too doughy…fix that. And hire Morgan. I am a man of my word he has not returned to Port Charles, so his family is safe. But let us keep an eye on him anyway."

The man agreed. "The other matter is more problematic."

"Oh?"

"It seems that Corinthos' wife is attempting to open a brothel."

"She is what? Is everyone in that city mad?"

The man shrugged.

Shehu shook his head. "Is she doing this under Sonny's direction?"

"No, he is still in the mental institution. And our man there says that he believes she is simply losing her mind. She is apparently and I am quoting him directly "Dressing like some trailer park bimbo and wandering the streets of Port Charles at night looking to recruit girls to come live in her whorehouse."

"I will not randomly kill a madwoman with a child. "Shehu said. "Do we trust what our operative is saying?"

The man shook his head. "No, he is not Albanian. I do not trust him at all."

Shehu thought for a moment and then said, "Go downstairs and bring Nisida up here."

Shehu poured himself another drink. The man reenters with a young woman dressed in a halter top panties and fish nets.

"Nisida, you were born in the United States Correct?" Shehu says.

"Po, Zotëri, por prindërit e mi janë shqiptarë. Unë jam besnik"

Shehu smiled. "I know that my dear, I was not questioning your lineage. I was wondering though as someone born here, what would you make of a man in his late 50's who refers to himself as Sonny?"

Nisida laughed. "Does he drive a truck, wear wife beater shirts and a red baseball cap?"

"He considers himself. Or considered himself a businessman."

The girl shook her head. "I would not take him seriously." She said this with a completely straight face while wearing fishnets.

"I need you to go to Port Charles and determine if a woman name Carly Corinthos is simply insane or a threat to our operation there."

"Me Sir?"

"Yes, this woman is apparently wandering the streets of the city recruiting hookers."

The girl nodded. "I understand."

"Get yourself recruited. Spend a few days see if she is a mental patient or something else. You may take the rest of the night off and leave in the morning. Tell Jon, I said to give you five hundred from the draw and enough extra for a round trip bus ticket."

The girl nodded. "Thank you, Sir."

She began to leave and Shehu called her "Nisida"

She turned. "Yes."

"On the off chance you make any money working for this woman, you may keep it also."

"Thank you, sir."

Serena had just finished up dating Elizabeth and Franco on what she knew concerning Lucky's arrest and the theft of the microchip and his relationship with Dr. Soumia Al-Fayheed when the doorbell of the Baldwin home rang.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and walked to the door. Franco one step behind her. She opened the door to see Scott Baldwin and the Scorpio brothers.

She tried to hide her nervousness. "Gentlemen please come in." The three walked in with mumbled hellos. Scotty inexplicably hugged Franco, who patted him on the back and looked over at Elizabeth with an odd look on his face.

"Your pants are wet Scott." He said.

The trio were inside when Elizabeth looked back out the door and saw Lucky standing with a woman in a hijab and hospital scrubs. Lucky had his arm around the woman's waist.

"Hello Elizabeth" Lucky said.

"Lucky" Liz said her face softening. She sensed Franco behind her and reached back taking his hand.

"Lucky, this is my husband Franco."

Franco reached his hand out and said "Husband. I'm her husband and Scott's son and Franco, I'm Franco."

Lucky shook his hand and smiled "It is good to finally meet you Franco I have heard a lot about you."

"They are all lies, accept the good stuff, and well some of the bad stuff too."

"Yeah I have the same problem Brother" Lucky answered He turned and said "Elizabeth, Franco I'd like you to meet Dr. Soumia Al-Fayheed. Soumia is my..."

He paused. Looking for the right word. Soumia tilted her head back and put a hand on her hip with a large grin. "I am your...?"

Lucky blushed.

Franco put his hand out and said "Al-Salam Alikium, Soumia"

"Alikium Salam Franco it is good to meet you."

Franco waved the young woman into the house. Elizabeth looked at Lucky with a large smile and took his arm to bring him inside as she did, she whispered in his ear. "Your...and you couldn't find the word? You better work on that one Lucas Lorenzo Jr."

Drew Cain was on edge; they had followed the unnamed stranger for several blocks and were now in deserted area near the edge of town.

A Man approached them out of the darkness. "You are Lucky's brother?" He asked.

Drew felt a sigh of relief. "Yes" Said Ethan.

The man smiled. "I am Andre. Lucky said to tell you that the microchip was left in a place important to English."

"What?"

Molly shook her head. "Well that does not tell us a lot."

"The man with the Eastern European Accent said, "This does not mean anything to you?"

Ethan shook his head. "No"

Then Andre and the other man looked at each other. "Oh well," The two men took out their guns. "Please put your hands up and follow us"

Ethan began to move but Drew shook his head nodding towards Molly. "Wait" he whispered.

Ethan had to agree. The two led the trio down another block and into a small home.

Ethan, Drew and Molly were told to sit.

"Look this is all something we can work out isn't it?" Molly said.

The man with the accent said "Maybe"

He looked at Ethan and said. "Has your Father ever mentioned me?"

Ethan looked at the man "Well tell me who you are and maybe I can answer?"

The man looked disgusted. "I am the most dangerous man Luke Spencer ever faced."

"Mikkos Cassadine?" Molly said. "Grandpa?"

"Frank Smith?" Drew Offered.

"Mouse?" Ethan said.

"Mouse? "Drew said.

"Apparently both he and Sonny."

"Stop this" The man snapped. "You think this is a joke?"

Drew shook his head. "No Sir, but truthfully we have no idea who you are."

"David Gray" Said the man.

Ethan looked at Molly and mouthed "Who?"

"So, you are saying that Anna Devane Tased you and left you on the floor of the old Outback Club?" Kevin Collins said to his wife.

"No, not Anna. I am sure now it was not Anna." Laura said.

"Not me what? "Said Anna Devane as she and Hamilton Finn entered Kelly's diner.

"Not you who used a taser on me and left me on the floor of the old Outback Club."

"Good Heavens why would I do that?" Anna said.

Finn shook hands with Kevin and said, "May we sit?"

Laura smiled. "Please, maybe you folks can explain to me what is going on. Anna is your sister intown?"

Anna was about to say no when she realized that if Laura had been attacked by a woman with her face then Alex was most definitely in town. "Apparently." She said again.

"Why would she attack you Laura?" Finn asked.

"I have no idea. I have a vague memory of someone saying. 'well we can'" Laura said, "But I have no idea what that means."

"Was it Alex who said it?" Anna asked.

"No, it was a male voice."

"And you are feeling alright?" Anna asked.

"Yes."

Finn smiled. "Well tell you what Madame Mayor why don't we pop over to GH and just check that out to be sure?"

Laura waved her hand. "No, Finn I am fine honest"

Kevin smiled. "I agree with my esteemed colleague. Sweetheart. Let's just make sure."

Laura took a long deep exasperated breath "Fine, fine but do you two fine doctors have an objection to me finishing my burger first?"

Jason Morgan sat on the stoop of the apartment building in the Bronx where he rented a room, thoroughly enjoying the sights and sounds of the city around him. He missed Sam, at least he thought he did. He was never sure when it came to emotions like missing some one. They spoke every night, so she was not really gone, was she. At any rate though he missed her, he was enjoying the Bronx, the problem was he was getting no where with his mission. He had come here to the city closest to Port Charles with a significant Albanian population and ties to the five families, in order to try to gather information on the mysterious Albanian who had driven Sonny mad and forced him to leave town. But he had gotten nowhere.

He was learning about Albanians however, a fun festive people who were however quick to fight and argue. Not unlike himself he thought. It would surprise people to know that Jason thought of himself as fun.

He needed to understand the organized crime structure here if he had any hopes of returning home. He got up just as the girl Rovena came down the stairs.

"Alan" She said. "I was just setting out to look for you."

Alan Lee Holt was the identity that Jason was using. "Me? Why" He said forcing a smile on his face since he understood that this was the socially expected reaction.

"Julia Leka from the pizza place two blocks overheard you were looking for work, well she heard that a handsome broad-shouldered American guy was looking for work. I just assumed she meant you."

Jason smiled. "I don't know how to make Pizza."

"She is looking for a stock and delivery boy. She has the delivery bike. You get minimum and can keep your tips."

Jason nodded "Sounds good, where is this place?"

Rovena slipped her arm through Jason's "Come on I'll show you, and you can buy me a slice"

"A slice?"

"Yea a slice of pie. What the hell do they do that deep-dish crap in Port Arthur?"

"Charles, Port Charles. I normally get the personal pans."

"At a chain?"

"Yes."

"Oh my God, you poor poor man." The girl said smiling.

Jason smiled as well; he was not sure why.

Michael Quartermaine sat behind his desk at ELQ while his cousin Ned and Sam McCall sat across from him reading a file, he had prepared for them.

"God Michael you could not have done anything more opposite then Grandfather, you over paid, you went for an industry ELQ has nothing to do with and you caved at every negotiation point."

Michael nodded "Yes and now ELQ owns a home diaper service delivery franchise."

Ned laughed. "Well yes, and no one moved against you."

"No, and as much as we may want to kid about it, this is the largest service in the country and as we go green it will actually make us some money."

"But there was no trace of "Edward" in this deal" Sam said

"No"

She shook her head. "So, it went through without a hitch, because the person who has been killing ELQ's deals could not predict what you were doing."

Ned nodded. "Okay so again we are dealing with someone who knows Grandfather's methods as well as Michael or myself or Mother. "

Michael looked at Sam. "Have you had any luck with the files I sent over from the other deals?"

Sam shook her head. "No not yet but I have just started looking into it. "

Michael got up and walked over to the window. "I need you two to keep what I am about to say very confidential."

"Of course," Sam said.

"You dont have to ask" Ned replied.

"ELQ has the opportunity to enter into a deal, that will secure not only the future of our company but of all of Port Charles, an opportunity that Grandfather would have loved to have decades ago, and which I can promise will also make us all very happy."

Michael came back and sat behind his desk and went on "But the amount of cash expenditure will be very high and because of the nature of the deal if we lose it, if it does not go through we will look like fools across the business world and it will likely prevent us from doing a successful deal for years going forward."

Ned sat back in his chair and said "Okay, Cousin, spill"

Sam smiled. "It is not like you to be this dramatic Michael."

Michael smiled. "This is a dramatic deal, it would literally change Port Charles forever. Within the next six months, if nothing goes wrong with the deals, ELQ will have brought up several small pharmaceutical companies, a half a dozen medical equipment production warehouses and an Insurance company."

Ned smirked. "And those things combined with what we already own will give us?"

Michael Nodded at his cousin for having figured it out. "Exactly"

"Exactly what" Said Sam

"Those companies are partial owners of a larger business. When we own them, then ELQ will have complete control over General Hospital."

After more than an hour of explanation from the Scorpio Brothers and Lucky, Serena finally felt like she was caught up. She had made several dozen phone calls to her superior officers during the discussion and what she was being told was confirmed at every step.

"I have just a few more questions" She said.

"Just a few? "Franco said. "You are easy to please Sister."

Serena ignored her older brother. "So, even though this memory transfer did not work completely you still had a compulsion to steal the microchip?"

"Yes." Lucky said. "I could have tried to fight it and maybe, maybe beaten it, but instead allowing the theft to go through and allowing the WSB time to replace those who could change the code allowed us to capture a large number of Anaconda operatives."

"Including Jerry Jacks" Franco said. "Who you took out, Scott."

Scotty looked flustered. "Why is everyone so surprised by that?"

"Because we are, Baldwin!" Robert said.

"And you sent Ethan off on basically a wild goose chase in order to keep him out of trouble?" Elizabeth asked Lucky

"Yes. I mean the chip is still missing and because of the failure in the transfer process I cannot remember where I put it."

"But it is useless right?" Said Franco

Robert shrugged. "Yes and no there is some confidential information on there that we would prefer not to fall into enemy hands."

"Does Ethan have the clue you gave the cabbie?"

"He does by now if he met up with Andre or if Val has managed to get a hold of him."

"And you are now a WSB Agent?" Elizabeth said to Lucky.

"I wanted to tell you and the boys, but the time was just not right."

Liz nodded. She smiled at Soumia "And you two are a couple?"

The girl blushed under her Hijab. "Yes, yes we are."

Elizabeth bent and hugged the young woman sitting on her couch. "He's a handful but he deserves to be happy. Call me if he messes up. I know how to smack him back in line."

They all laughed. Except Robert who said. "Look I dont mean to interrupt this little love fest but we still do not have the microchip."

Elizabeth whispered to Lucky "The boys are dying to see you. I bet they are listening at the door Poor Cam is doing yeoman work keeping them in there."

"We want to see them too" Lucky said gripping Soumia's hand.

"Spencer. Sit down. We need to work on this microchip first." Robert said.

Franco asked. "What was the clue you gave the cabbie?"

"I told him the Chip was somewhere important to English."

"Well it's a big language with lots of historic places" Said Franco.

Elizabeth smiled. "Lucky are you sure you said English, not the English?"

"Yes."

"Well then this is easy. Cowboy." Elizabeth said smiling.

Lucky grinned. "Of course, it is, and now we need to tell Dodge."

Franco shook his head "What the heck are you people talking about?"

Lucky smiled and looked at Mac "My Father never called the people he loved by their names, right Bubba?"

"Except for me" Robert said smiling.

"English is what he called Ethan's mother Holly. "Lucky said to Soumia and Serena.

"And you were in France." Elizabeth said.

"Yes"

Soumia looked at Lucky and said, "You have remembered?"

"Yes" Lucky said with a smile. "As soon as Elizabeth reminded me that English was Holly's nickname it all came back. Holly loved the Provence region of France. And more importantly she loved a painting that hung in a museum there called Summer in Provence, it had been there since she, well, she had...well she had..."

Robert interrupted. "She stole it from Bill Eckert."

Lucky laughed. "Yeah that. I went to the museum and placed the chip on the back of it."

"Great" Said Serena. "Then all we have to do is tell Ethan and Drew to go to that Museum."

Lucky waved a hand "Now that I remember everything it is even easier than that. Once I left the museum, I called my cousin Sly and asked him to reclaim his father's painting and to have it shipped to a gallery here in Port Charles.'

"Which one "Said Franco

"I have no idea but all I need to do is call Sly to find out."

Lucky stepped out of the room to make his phone call.

Franco walked over and hugged Scott. Serena laughed at how awkward her Father looked. She got up and said. "Baldwin Group Hug."

Scotty looked at Mac and Robert and said "Help"

They laughed. Franco cocked his head toward Elizabeth "Come on Mrs. Baldwin"

They were Still hugging when Lucky stepped back into the room. "AM I interrupting?"

"NO" said Scotty

Robert too out his phone and dialed. "Frisco?"

A voice on the other end said. "No Sir, he is out it is Ballentine."

"Ah Young Francis" Robert said. "Hold on one moment, young Spencer is about to tell us where the chip is."

"On the back of a painting Called Summer in Provence at an art Gallery here in Port Charles called the Jerome Gallery."

Mac, Robert, Franco, Scotty, and Elizabeth all said "Ava" at the same time.

Lucky shrugged looked at Soumia and Serena and said. "I guess so."

Robert smiled. "Franco can you do the honors for getting Miss Jerome to meet me and Lucky over there?"

Mac put his hand on his brothers Shoulder. "You and I will go Robert. Let Lucky spend some time seeing his boys."

Robert sighed "Oh I suppose so, God knows that I would not want to stand in the way of all this mushy nonsense."

"Okay follow the light" Finn told Laura as he moved the small flashlight back and forth in front of her face. Anna and Kevin stood anxiously to the side as Finn concluded his examination.

"Other than that, bruise on your side where the taser hit you, you seem fine." Finn said shutting the flashlight off.

"Good" said Laura. "Of course, I said that all along."

"That does not answer the question why Alex attacked you, or where she is now." Anna Said.

Laura's phone buzzed and she looked at the text message. She smiled broadly. "well whatever her reasons it is going to have to wait."

She looked at her husband. "We need to go to Elizabeth and Franco's right away"

Anna took out her phone as it too buzzed.

"Is there something wrong?" Kevin asked.

Anna grinned at Laura and showed her the message on her own phone.

"So, I guess you two are coming as well."

"Why?" Said Finn.

Laura smiled broadly "Lucky is home."

Kevin smiled and said, "And that is wonderful." He hugged his wife who added. "And apparently he brought a girl."

Alex Devane walked along the Port Charles docks speaking on her phone. "That was not in the original contract. No of course I can do it, but I expect to be paid for my trouble. She paused. "One Hundred Thousand, two if I have to hurt anyone." Another pause. "Done."

"David Gray?" Ethan said.

"Yes, the man who hypnotized Laura, so she walked into the fog to be captured by Stavros Cassadine."

"You hypnotized Mayor Webber?" Drew Said.

"Yes, I had mistaken her for Laura Templeton."

"Because all women named Laura look alike?" Asked Molly.

"Laura Templeton is the sister of Jackie Templeton."

"Not ringing any bells." Said Ethan

"I am The Lost Prince of Mallkuth. "Said Gray imperiously

The trio sat looking at each other

Gray shook his head at them and said. "I am the Wielder of the sword of Iskandar."

Molly smiled. "I'm Molly of Cassadine, first of my name, mother of hornets."

"Hornets" Said Drew.

"Everyone says dragons" said Molly "Hornets are mean little things."

Andre looked at Gray Puzzled. "If they do not know where the chip is perhaps, we should call Asp and find out what to do next."

Gray nodded and walked over to a small desk. He turned on a computer and waited.

From where they were sitting the trip could see a woman appear on the screen. She was older, her hair snow white, her eyes a piercing blue. The bottom half of her face was covered with a veil.

"What." The woman said quickly.

"We have captured Ethan Lovett, along with his companions Molly Cassadine and Drew Cain. But they do not know where the microchip is."

The woman scoffed. "I already know of the chips location and I am securing it even as we speak, Further, that fool Jacks has failed at his end of the operation so we will need to regroup."

"And my old friend."

The woman laughed. "David please stop being melodramatic, the woman was captured, the information gotten, and then she was released. With the Failure of Jacks end of the operation we will need to take a step back, however."

"So, what should I do with these?"

Gray stepped back from the computer so that the woman could see the trio clearly.

"A Cassadine, A Quartermaine and A Spencer." She said. "How lovely. One of each. Kill them."


End file.
